Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1887-11-09
DONE WITH LAREDO.
A Mexican Mother and Her Child
Grasping Nature of n Mexican
Landlord.


first morning after our arrival in
Laredo to walk around the streets, and
peer into houses In a way which we
would bitterly resent In any one who
came to our country for the same pur-
pose; but as 1t is time honored custom
of American travellers, we undertook
it bravely, though l must confess that
felt half ashamed.
1 did try 10 hire guide, but as we
wanted to start out long before any OF
those who served in that capacity were
awake or would rouse, we relied upon
our own wits and started cut. We
found several churches, but some of
them were SO old the little woman
gathered up her skirts in disgust and
declared she wouldn't enter, and the
others were SO new that she decided
that they were not worth seeing. but
early as was the hour, there were
numbers of Mexican women or all
classes going into or coming out or
them, and L must confess to seeing
several that L thought beautiful, with
lovely dark eyes, l2-uriant black hair
a superb walk, but my little woaiaI
declared that their compilations were
ike old paste and their forms like
cows, SO We did not quite agree, and
turned our steps down a narrow street
where she soon uttered an exclamation
of delight, She had found babyl 1t
Is astonishing what . sort or MASONIC
attraction a baby causes between wo-
men. They don't know why, but so 1t
Is, and in a moment the little Amerl-
cano was seated on a rude bench hold
ing the baby and talking Volapuk to it.
The mother and baby both understood,
and both smiled with delight,
By and by 1 suggested that she leave
the baby and come back to the hotel
for breakfast, but no; she was going to
stay there and see the house-the in
terror; and she did. The shy Mexican
woman took her il and set he's down
On cot made or rustic wooo s.-3 ~-Auv
hide, with wood mattresses and pill
lows, and with coverings of red satin,
and these covered again with that beau
| tlful hand made lace which none but
these women can maks. There were
three immense .camphor wood trunks,
| studded with brass halls, and from
these the woman took out piles OF
| snowy linen undergarments, all elab.
! orately worked in exquisite patterns,
some Of the work being over q foot
| deep.
She made the visitors understand
that these were in part done by herself
and part by her ancestors as far back
as four generations, and she delighted
the little woman by making her q
present of napkin with the coat OF
arms OF Mexico worked in this fashion
which is done by pulling out threads
and sewing others In 50 that the pat
tern is formed in open work. The little
woman retalisted by taking off a gold
locket and tying it around the baby's
neck.
While we were talking with her.
say talking because we certainly all did
talk, though no one but the baby
seemed to take real comfort from the
| conversatlon-we heard the most un-
earthly shrieks and screams and groan:
and shouts approaching, Tie little
| woman turned pale, but the Mexican
laughed, and as we neared the door we
saw an OK cart coming down the i'll
paved, dirty and deserted street. II
was Of the most primitive construction
and the wheels were simply sections OF
logs with axles OF wood, and these
wheels turning on those axles, which
never heard OF grease. made that awful
noise, and the drivers shouts to his
oxen added the touch of the master.
We seized this occasion to leave and
/ went back TO the hotel, having seen all
there was In Laredo and finding II
| hardly worth the trouble. We asked
| for breakfast and found It wasn't Gus
tomaryi But We got some chocolate
and bread, and at noon got some soup,
some mutton stewed with peas, some
beans boiled first. then fried in suet,
and some sweetmeats which were very
good, We decided TO GO on to Mon.
terey that evening, and so asked for
our bill. The price was 81 a day for
one person, but "a. 80 apiece for two,
because it always makes more work for
two than one.
Laredo is nice enough border town.
but think one appreciates it more the
further he gets away. The type is dis.
tinctly Mexican. with inst enough of
Yankee about it to spoil it for a Mexi-
can town, and not enough for a good
American one However, it may grow
up with the country II Texas develops
as it ought